How tech facilitates gender-based violence

Technology increasingly being used for gender-based violence

What you probably already know: A new report out this week shows that technology has facilitated increased gender-based violence across the globe. The report, by a Dutch gender organization called Rutgers found that, from workplaces to war zones, technology that aims to connect people is also being used to terrorize them.

Why? Issues related to online stalkers and revenge porn are common across the world and social media is being weaponized against women and LGBTQ+ people with little protection from police or justice systems as laws struggle to keep up, the report states. Across 32 countries, 58% of adolescent girls experienced harassment online. In many places, that harassment can spill into offline violence and, the report found, victims, perpetrators and wider society often have limited understanding of the impact and legal status of these kinds of crimes.

What it means: Women who speak out are often targeted the most and that harassment can cause them to withdraw from public life to protect themselves and their families. The “climate of mistrust in legal processes and systems” can prevent victims from seeking justice.

What happens now? The report encourages governments to enact legislation that is broad enough and considers the complexity of the issues, and then to keep those laws up to date as technology evolves. It also cautions that victims can be prosecuted when they come forward in some countries where homosexuality or sex work are criminalized, thus silencing victims. For instance, a bill that would criminalize revenge porn and AI-generated nude photos is making its way through U.S. Congress. It would require tech companies to take down the photos within 48 hours of being informed about them.

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